Fluid-transmission mechanism



UNITED STATES ROBERT L. SWANSOH, 01' RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA.

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Specification of Letters mat P t t 17, 1 2

Application filed Kay 8, 1918. Serial No. 888,887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r L. Swanson, a citizen of the United States residing at Red Bluff, in the county of Tehama and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Transmission Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a fluid transmission mechanism.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a series of different sized fluid pressure motors mounted on a single shaft, a valve'for controlling the flow of the fluid under pressure to each one of the motors at will, a plurality of valves to change the direction of fluid flow, a pump operatively connected to a rime mover to produce a pressure fluid ow, means to operatively connect the two valves for simultaneous operation, and piping to connect the valve elements together.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sectors connected with the valves for changing the direction of fluid flow; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional rotary pump.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing an air cushion.

Any suitable form of prime mover may be used, such as the gas engine 5, which may be connected in an desired manner to the rotary pump 6. T e inlet and outlet parts of this pump 6 are connected by suitable piping with the valves 7. In this piping connecting the pump with the valves are suitable tubes 8, which are closed by means of plugs, the removal of which will permit fluid to be introduced into the system.

The valves 7 are preferably provided with three-way openings, as shown in Fig. 1, and mounted u on the valve stem 9 are the sectors '10. e valve body 11 of each of the valves 7 is provided with three outlets, one of which comes from the pump 6 direct, another one leading and connected to another part of the piping system, which is used for the normal operation and direction of the fluid flow, and the other outlet being connected to the return side of the piping. The leads connecting the valves wit the normal direction of the flow piging will be designated by the numerals 1 and 13.

The pipe 14 is connected to the valve body 15 in any suitable manner. Disposed within the valve bod 15 is a valve having operate with the inlet openings 18, 19, and

20 leading to the fluid pressure motors 21, 22, and 23.

Also connected with the valve body 15 are the by-pass tubes 24 and 25, which are connected with a piping 26 leading to one side of the fluid motors 21, 22 and 23. The fluid pressure motors 21, 22 and 23 are shown in Fig. 1 as being of different diameters, and they are mounted and secured to a shaft 27 in any well-known manner. These motors may be of any usual ty e or construction, no particular type ing shown, other than that known as the rotary.

By having motors of different diameters that are adapted to rotate at different speeds at the same pressure the torque is conserl uently varied according to the diameters f it is desired to have a large star-tin torque, one of the motors may be used, an when the shaft is started rotatingand it is desired to increase the speed, another motor may be connected and the first one cut out,

and if still higher speeds are desired, the

other and last motor may be cut in and the two motors cut out.

In practical operation, the system ma be filled with some transmission fluid whic may also contain lubricating qualities so that the several operative parts will not dry and depend upon exterior lubrication. The prime mover 5' is turned over and it is thought for economical reasons being a gas engine that it should run at a constant speed, and will, therefore, operate the pump 6 producing a fluid gressure flow having a constant velocity. f course, the engine may be run at different speeds in order to vary the velocity if so desired. The fluid in passing from the pump flows through the valve 7, thence into the pipe 14, where it enters the valve body 15. As shown in Fig. 1, the wings 16 and 17 are so positioned that the .fluid will flow from the pipe 14 to the inlet 18 of the fluid pressure motor 21. The fluid after assing through this motor will pass into t e plpe 26 and also into the by-pass pipes 24 an 25. The fluid will also pass through the idling motors 22 and 23. In passlng through they will tend to reduce the power consumption, as these two motors will not have their rotors operating through a slow moving,

The valves 7, which are 0 eratively connected bymeans of the toot ed sectors 10, are used for reversing the direction of fluid flow to the motors 21, 22, and 23.

When necessary cushioning devices may be provided for taking up ang sudden or severe pressures in the line. no of these devices is shown at 8' and consists of an upright pipe having its end closed and having a certain quantity of air therein. Thus any sudden pressure in the system will be cushioned by the air in said pipe. It will of course be understood that drain cocks may be located at any desired position in the system.

It will be noticed from the construction illustrated that the device is capable of a quick acceleration up to full speed, as there are no ears to-shift and the acceleration is adua, and may be accomplished at will.

t may be used in work-sho s as well as upon a motor driven vehicle. he manner of assemblin and connecting the various parts of t e piping system together with the fluid pressure motors, the valves and the pump will be that such as is usual in the trade.

Minor changes in the pnoportions and details of construction ma be resorted to without departing from t e spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class describe comprising a series of separated motors, o diflerent sizes, a shaft common to all the motors, a valve casing, a pipe connecting the same with each motor, a pump, an inlet with the last mentioned means for permitting the fluid to pass through the idling motors.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a series of separated motors oi different sizes, a shaft common to all the motors, a valve casing, a pipe connecting the same with each of the motors, a pump, a pipe connecting the same with the valve casing, 11 return pipe connected with the pump, a pipe connecting each of the motors with the return pipe, by-pass pipes connect ing the return pipe with the valve casing and a valve in said casing having its inlet end enlarged and its outlet end restricted to the size of the pipes leading to the motors so that the valve will remain in communiciation with the pipe leading from the pump while its outlet end is re 'stering with any of the motor pipes, said -pass pipes permitting the fluid to circu ate through the idling motors.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT L. SWAN SON. 

